I miss life before COVID, especially attending live events. Pre-pandemic my friend Corina and I had a blast seeing Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant live at Soaring Eagle Casino. The venue was packed for the New Edition alums. You could feel the crowd’s energy. Their reactions to each song vibrated and quaked the room, rivaling the bass pulsating from the giant house speakers. It got so loud when Johnny and Ralph performed NE classic “Can You Stand The Rain” that Corina and I couldn’t hear each other singing along while standing shoulder to shoulder.
We had great VIP seats but decided to venture to the front of the stage. We got there just before Johnny began singing “My, My, My”. As he belted his megahit slow-jam from the comfort of center stage, Ralph walked from end to end passing out long-stem roses. This romantic gesture whipped the women on hand into a wild frenzy. They began to, basically, stampede in hopes of getting a flower. |THIS.
[Words and photo by Mr. Joe Walker]
